Hood latch assembly



Nov. 28, 1961 1.. P. BRISSETTE ETAL 3,010,749

HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEV 1961 L. P. BRISSETTE ET AL 3,010,749

HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN T ORS A TTORA/EV 1961 L. P. BRISSETTE ET AL 3,010,749

HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORJ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,010,749 HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY Lawrence P. Brissette, Utica, and Joseph G'. Joachim,

Detroit, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 21, 1959, Ser. No.-841,165 4 Claims. (Cl. 292-27) The present invention relates to a hood latch assembly in which a common operating member is adapted to release both a keeper latch and a safety latch.

It is common practice with front hood members to utilize both a keeper latch to retain the hood in a tightly closed position as well as a safety latch which prevents full hood opening in the event the keeper latch becomes disengaged. Further, it is broadly known to utilize a common operating member for sequentially achieving the disengaging action of both a keeper latch and a safety latch. The present invention relates to an improved and greatly simplified mechanism for sequentially controlling the disengaging operation of a keeper latch and a safety latch.

In general the present invention relates to a key controlled member which operates a common cam member having a pair of axially spaced cam surfaces which in sequence engage with and actuate the keeper latch and then the safety latch.

In one modification of the invention the keeper and safety latches are released by rotating the common member in one direction. In another modification the keeper latch is released by rotation of the cam in one direction while safety latch release is achieved through an opposite cam rotation.

The details as well-as other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a perusal of the detailed description'which follows.

Inthe drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a partially sectioned elevational view showing a hood member embodying the subject invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view along line 2-2 of FIGURE I particularly showing the safety latch mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a view along line 3--3 of FIGURE 1 particularly showing the keeper latch mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a view along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURES S and 6 represent a modification in which the common cam member is oppositely rotated to release the keeper and safety latches.

While the present invention is of generally utility in any environment in which both a keeper and safety latch are desired, the invention has been illustrated as employed on the front hood of a vehicle. The hood is shown generally at 10 and coacts with the front body portion 12 of the vehicle when closed to provide a storage or engine compartment 14. The hood latch mechanism is indicated generally at 16 and is adapted to be controlled for disengaging operation by a lock device 18. By inserting a key in the lock mechanism, the lock cylinder 20 may be rotated in turn imparting a rotative movement to a member 22 secured thereto. A cam element 24 is secured to the other end of member 22. The cam element includes a pair of cam surfaces 26 and 28 adapted to respectively control the keeper latch 30 and the safety latch 32.

The operation of the keeper latch will first be described and for this purpose reference is made to FIGURES 1, 3 and 4. Hood 10 includes a bracket 34 from which a striker 36 is supported by a plurality of studs 38. Striker 36 includes a U-shaped rod portion 40 which extends forwardly and is disposed intermediate bracket 34 and a corresponding hood latch supporting bracket 42 formed on portion 12 of the vehicle body. Striker portion 40 is so disposed that the keeper and safety latches 30 and 3,010,749 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 its closed position as shown in the drawings.

Keeper latch' 30 is pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 44 and includes a hooked end 46 adapted to engage with striker portion 40 to retain the hood in a locked position. A second bifurcated lever 48 is pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 50 and includes a notched end' 52 adapted to coact with a correspondingly shaped end 54 of keeper latch'30 to retain the keeper latch in its hood locked position, as best seen in FIGURE 3. Both stub shafts 44 and 50 are fixed to a plate 56 which is suitably fixed to bracket 42.

The other arm 58 of bifurcated lever 48 is adapted to coact with surface 26 of cam element 24 whereby upon clockwise rotation of the cam element lever 48 will likewise be rotated in a clockwise direction permitting the notched end 52 thereof to disengage with keeper latch 30. Disengagernent of lever 48 from keeper latch 30 permits a spring 69 coiled about keeper latch shaft 44 to rotate the keeper latch in a counterclockwise direction to disengage the latter latch from striker portion thereby pennitting at least a partial opening of hood 10.

Arm 58 of lever 48 includes a notch 62 formed therein which is adapted to coact with a tang member 64 suitably fixed to plate 56 to limit the rotative movement of the lever and to thereby insure that it will not be rotated inadvertently to a position in which it would be unable to coact with keeper latch 30.

While permitting a partial opening of hood ll disengagement of keeper latch 30 from the striker 36 does not enable a complete opening of the hood since safety latch 32 also includes a hooked end 66 which is normally biased to a position to engage striker portion 40 and thus restrain the hook from further opening movement. The means whereby the safety latch is actuated to permit complete opening of-the hood will now be considered. Re-

ferring to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that safety latch 32 is pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 68 and biased in a striker engaging, or clockwise direction by a spring 70 wrapped around shaft 68 and anchored at one end by a member 72 mounted on plate 74 and the other end of which biases against a tang 76 formed on arm 78 of latch 32. Cam surface 26 includes a projecting portion 80 which, upon clockwise rotation of cam element 24, is adapted to engage a projecting portion 82 of the safety latch 32 and in so doing to impart a counterclockwise rotation to the latter latch moving the same out of latching engagement with striker 36.

By comparing the positions of the cam surfaces 26 and 28 in FIGURES 2 and 3 in relation to their coacting positions with their respective levers 58 and 32, it will be seen that initial clockwise rotation of cam element 24 will first disengage keeper latch 30 and then subsequently disengage safety latch 32 from striker 36. Thus projection 80 of cam surface 28 is disposed such that during the initial counterclockwise rotation of the cam element the projection will move relative to safety latch 32.

A second projection 84 is formed on cam element 24 and is adapted to engage a fixed stop 86 mounted on plate 74 to limit the clockwise rotation of the cam element. Likewise, the counterclockwise rotation of cam element 24 occasioned by spring 88 disposed between lock cylinder 20 and a supporting bracket 90 will be limited by engagement of the back side of projection 80 with stop 86.

It is to be noted that the keeper latch mechanism is mounted on plate 56 which in turn is secured to supporting bracket 42 while the safety latch mechanism is mounted on plate 74 in turn mounted on bracket 42 through keeper latch plate 56. The mounting of the keeper and safety latch mechanisms on their respective plates 56 and 74 facilitates assembly of the latch mechanism 16 upon supporting bracket 42.

The modification of FIGURES and 6 is substantially the same structurally as the modification of FIGURES 1 through 4. The sequence of operation of latches 30 and 32 is the same in both modifications. The difference between the modifications resides in the fact that in FIGURES 5 and 6 the common cam member 91 has its cam surfaces 92 and 94 reoriented. Also the cam engaging tang 96 on safety latch 32 is moved to a slightly different position. With this arrangement keeper latch 30 is still released from striker 40 by a clockwise rotation of cam member 91. However, it becomes necessary to rotate cam 91 in the opposite direction to permit surface 94 to engage tang 96 to release safety latch 32.

We claim:

1. A hood latch assembly for automobiles comprising a hood member, a striker member fixed to said hood, a keeper latch pivotally mounted on the hood supporting member, first spring means tending to bias said keeper latch out of locking engagement with said striker, a lever for locking said keeper latch in a striker engaging position against the force of said spring, a cam member including a first surface adapted to engage with said lever to rotate the latter out of engagement with said keeper latch to permit the spring means to move the latch to a disengaging position relative to said striker, a safety latch pivotally mounted on the hood supporting member, a second spring means biasing said safety latch into a position permitting said latter latch to lockingly engage with said striker after the keeper latch has been disengaged therefrom, said cam member including a second surface adapted to engage with said safety latch after said first cam surface has moved the keeper latch to a non-engaging position relative to said striker whereby the safety latch may also be moved to a non-engaging striker position.

2. A hood latch assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said cam surfaces are axially spaced on the cam member, said first cam surface being maintained in continuous engagement with said lever, said second cam surface being out of contact with the safety latch until the keeper latch has been disengaged.

3. A hood latch assembly for automobiles comprising a hood member, a striker member fixed to said hood, a first plate member mounted on the hood supporting memher, a keeper latch pivotally supported on the plate member, first spring means tending to bias said keeper latch out of locking engagement with said striker, a lever pivotally mounted on said plate member and adapted to lock the keeper latch in a striker engaging position against the force of said spring, a cam member supported at one 7 end on said plate member and including afirstsurface adapted to engage with said lever to rotate the latter out of engagement with said keeper latch to permit the spring means to move the latch to a disengaging position relative to said striker, a second plate mounted in spaced relation upon the first plate, a safety latch pivotally mounted on said second plate, spring means biasing said safety latch into a position permitting said latter latch to lockingly engage with said striker after the keeper latch has been disengaged therefrom, said cam member including a second surface adapted to engage With said safety latch after said first cam surface has moved the keeper latch to a non-engaging position relative to said striker whereby the safety latch may also be moved to a non-engaging striker position.

4. A hood latch assembly as set forth in claim 3 in which said first plate member includes a stop element for limiting the rotating movement of said lever, and said second plate member includes a stop element for limiting the rotating movement of the cam member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,743,601 Dlugatch May 1, 1956 2,793,061 Dall May 21', 1957 2,797,116 Jaster June 25, 1957 2,924,473 Krause Feb. 9, 1960 

